Chile's Internal Tax Service filed a criminal complaint against former
ruler Augusto Pinochet after an investigation of his accounts at Riggs
Bank in Washington. Riggs, which was not a subject of the complaint, is
facing multiple probes into its compliance with laws designed to prevent
money laundering.

In a statement released yesterday, the tax agency said it forwarded
the complaint to Judge Sergio Muñoz, the magistrate investigating
possible corruption by Pinochet. The complaint was not made public, but
several sources yesterday said it relates to Pinochet's failure to report
millions of dollars in investment accounts at Riggs between 1996 and 2002.
Muñoz will decide whether to prosecute the 88-year-old former general,
who is undergoing psychiatric tests to determine his ability to stand trial
on human rights abuses.

Also named in the complaint is Oscar Aitken Lavanchy, a lawyer who is
Pinochet's longtime business manager. Aitken could not be reached for comment.
He has declined comment in the past, though he gave an interview to El
Mercurio newspaper in Santiago in September in which he alleged Riggs was
responsible for managing Pinochet's money and should take the blame if
any laws were broken. Pinochet lawyer Jose Maria Eyzaguirre could not be
reached for comment yesterday.

Chilean officials began investigating Pinochet's finances after the
Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations released a report in July
about Riggs's dealings with Pinochet. The report found that Riggs helped
Pinochet hide accounts with balances of $4 million to $8 million. Riggs
actively managed large sums of money for Pinochet, the report said, and
took steps that appeared designed to disguise Pinochet as beneficiary of
the funds.

The Department of Justice is investigating possible violations of money-laundering
laws by Riggs employees, according to several sources with knowledge of
the matter who asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is in
its early stages. Riggs has made formal referrals to the Justice Department
detailing what it believes are crimes in its handling of Pinochet's money.
It was unclear whether Riggs might be required to produce records or whether
bank officials might be deposed in the Chilean probe. As yet, Chilean officials
have not asked Riggs for any information, according to two sources.

Riggs was fined $25 million in May for failing to follow money-laundering
regulations in its dealings with the West African country of Equatorial
Guinea and the Embassy of Saudi Arabia. The fine led to later revelations
about Pinochet and pushed Riggs to pursue a merger with PNC Financial Services
Group Inc. Riggs's $766 million sale to PNC is scheduled to close in the
first quarter of 2005.